Music for Your Next Super-Cool Ad Campaign

And here comes another in my musically-oriented Saturday offerings, with the hope of getting rid of the crap music on most commercials now, and replacing it with some tunes I actually want to hear. We'll focus on Michael Andrews, who might actually be a little more well-known than I'll generally feature, but I hadn't heard of him until three days ago, so I think it still counts.

I found this guy through Myspace, which is really becoming my number one source for finding new music. The number of bands sampling their music there is great resource for people like me who like a constantly replenished musical catalogue.

Andrews has written scores for cult-hit Donnie Darko, as well as Zero Effect, Orange County, and music for tv shows Freaks and Geeks and Fox's short-lived Undeclared.

All of this is news to me, but I want to focus on this record, produced in Andrew's home in Glendale, and recorded completely from the hands of MA, as he played each instrument on the record.

He weaves a beautfiul tapestry of acoustic guitars throughout most of this record, making this the perfect album for lazy Sunday afternoons.  His voice is so relaxing, but the music still seems to move more than meander.  He adds enough quirky hooks to keep it interesting, and uses the keys to provide depth and texture.  It somewhat reminds me of The Sea and Cake meets Sean Lennon, but with a little bit more of a more straight-forward approach than either.  With all of it's complexity, it keeps an organic and simple feel.  It's a real nice, comfortable listen.

Perfect for:  Sunday Afternoons and Road Trips

On Myspace.
Home.
Article on Andrews in LA Weekly.